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QUICK  INFORMATION  S 


AMILRICAN  BAPTIST 
MISSIONARY  UNION 


JARAIN 

1.  The  Country 

APAN,  the  island  kingdom  of  the  far 
East,  is  a beautiful  country.  More 
than  thirteen  hundred  years  ago  a 
Japanese  poet  wrote : — 

Japan  is  not  a land  where  men  need  pray, 
For  *tis  itself  divine. 

The  empire  consists  of  four  large 
islands  and  many  hundred  small  ones. 
In  area  it  is  not  larger  than  the  state 
of  California,  but  the  islands  extend 
through  fifteen  degrees  of  latitude, 
from  thirty  to  forty-five,  about  the  same  as  from  southern 
Georgia  to  northern  Maine. 

The  climate  of  Japan  varies  more  from  north  to  south 
than  even  its  range  of  latitude  would  indicate,  but  through- 
out the  greater  portion  it  is  temperate  and  mild. 

The  scenery  is  diversified  and  delightful.  There  are  rug- 
ged mountains,  of  which  the  sacred  and  picturesque  Fuji- 
yama is  the  most  famous ; quiet  valleys,  tranquil  lakes,  and 
inland  seas  dotted  with  thousands  of  islands.  The  soil 
is  fertile,  brought  to  a high  degree  of  cultivation  by  ancient 
methods ; and  gardens  glow  with  chrysanthemums,  cherry 
blossoms,  and  the  magnificent  lotus  flowers. 

2.  The  People 

The  population  of  Japan  is  about  49,000,000.  The  people 
are  small  in  stature,  but  vigorous  and  active.  In  the  wilda 


of  Yezo  there  are  still  a few  thousand  Ainus,  a tall  and 
hairy  race  of  savages,  supposed  to  be  the  remnants  of  aborig- 
inal tribes. 

The  Japanese  are  intelligent,  but  in  many  respects  a race 
of  children,  easily  interested  in  new  things,  but  quickly  tir- 
ing of  them.  They  are  kindly  and  courteous,  but  deficient 
in  moral  courage  and  earnestness. 

Nowhere  are  good  manners  and  artistic  culture  so  wide- 
spread as  in  Japan.  These  characteristics  are  found  even 
among  the  lowest,  and  they  deceive  careless  observers  in 
regard  to  the  lack  of  moral  principle  in  Japanese  life. 

The  condition  of  women  is  better  than  in  most  Asiatic 
countries,  but  there  is  no  true  chivalry  towards  them. 
Japan  is  the  paradise  of  children  ; they  are  welcomed,  loved, 
and  tenderly  cared  for,  and  have  much  liberty. 

In  history,  Japan  is  very  ancient.  The  present  dynasty 
was  founded  660  years  B.  C.,  and  the  reigning  mikado  is  the 
one  hundred  and  twenty-first  of  his  line. 

3.  Religions 

If  Paul  should  go  to  Kyoto  today,  his  spirit  might  be 
stirred  within  him  even  more  than  it  was  at  Athens  when  he 
beheld  the  city  full  of  idols.  In  one  temple  at  Kyoto  there 
are  33,333  gilded  images. 

Shlototom 

The  ancient  and  state  religion  of  Japan  is  Shintoism.  In 
its  pure  form  there  is  no  moral  or  doctrinal  code,  no  priest- 
craft or  idol  worship.  Certain  forces  and  objects  in  nature 
are  worshiped ; and  heroes,  emperors,  and  great  men  are 
deified.  The  mikado  is  held  to  be  descended  from  the  sun 
goddess,  Amaterasu. 

BuddhUm 

The  popular  religion  of  Japan  is  Buddhism,  which  was 
introduced  in  about  560  A.  D.,  and  for  many  centuries  it 
was  united  with  Shintoism.  The  teachings  of  Confucius  are 
also  extensively  followed,  and  Buddhist  priests  often  take 
their  texts  from  the  words  of  the  Chinese  philosopher. 


Popular  Buddhism  has  temples  and  idols  without  number, 
and  every  home  has  its  idol  shelf.  A young  priest  was  con- 
verted at  one  of  our  missions,  and  this  is  what  he  said : 
“Why  then  did  I throw  away  Buddhism.^  The  teaching  of 
Buddha  is  higher  philosophy  than  any  other  science,  but 
it  is  never  religion.  If  we  take  away  the  philosophic  parts 
there  is  nothing  left ; there  is  no  relation  between  Buddha 
and  us.  He  has  no  power  to  create  the  world  or  to  save  us.’* 

4.  Early  Missions 

In  1549  Francis  Xavier,  the  Catholic  “Apostle  of  the 
Indies,”  landed  in  Japan  with  an  ambition  to  convert  the 
empire.  His  work  was  attended  with  marvelous  success, 
and  the  mission  flourished  for  more  than  a Hundred  years. 
Then  a great  and  bloody  persecution  arose,  imany  became 
martyrs  for  the  faith,  and  the  priests  were  expelled. 

5.  The  Turn  of  the  Key 

For  more  than  200  years  after  the  Jesuits  were  expelled 
Japan  remained  a hermit  nation ; every  port  was  closed 
to  foreigners,  and  there  was  a deadly  edict  against  Chris- 
tianity. But  in  July,  1853,  Commodore  M.  C.  Perry  sailed 
to  Japan  with  a fleet  of  United  States  warships,  and  de- 
manded a treaty  and  an  open  port.  On  Sunday  the  people 
saw  the  capstan  of  the  “ Mississippi  ” wreathed  with  the 
stars  and  stripes,  and  a Bible  laid  upon  it,  while  the  crew, 
led  by  the  band,  sang : — 

Before  Jehovah’s  awful  throne 
Ye  nations  bow  with  solemn  joy. 

A Japanese  writer  said  of  this  event,  “It  was  the  turn  of 
the  key  which  opened  the  doors  of  the  Japanese  Empire ; 
there  first  gleamed  the  rays  of  her  new  era  of  progress.” 

6.  Baptist  nissions 

In  Commodore  Perry’s  expedition  was  a seaman,  Jonathan 
Goble.  He  was  so  impressed  by  what  he  saw  that  he  longed 
to  go  back  and  preach  the  gospel  in  Japan,  and  he  was  sent 
out  in  i860  by  the  American  Baptist  Free  Mission  Society. 
He  continued  alone  in  the  work  until  the  mission  was  ac- 
cepted by  the  Missionary  Union  in  1872. 


5pecial  Condltloof 

All  mission  -work  in  Japan  has  been  affected,  sometimes 
favorably,  sometimes  unfavorably,  by  the  rapid  changes 
there  during  the  last  50  years.  It  has  seemed  at  times  as 
if  the  nation  rushed  to  the  acceptance  of  Western  ideas. 
The  leaders  introduced  in  turn  the  religion,  the  education, 
the  political  institutions,  the  militarism,  and  the  commerce 
of  other  nations,  but  without  knowledge  or  experience.  Yet 
great  progress  in  all  these  things  has  been  made. 

True  Progress 

The  progress  of  our  mission  amid  all  these  changes  has 
been  steady  and  substantial.  It  has  suffered  less  than  some 
others  from  the  fluctuations  in  the  attitude  of  the  Japanese 
toward  Christianity.  Statistics  for  1903  show  that  we  have 
in  Japan  9 stations,  58  missionaries,  and  33  churches,  with 
2,151  members.  A special  phase  of  the  work  is  that  of  the 
gospel  ship,  “ Fukuin  Maru,”  that  sails  among  the  myriad 
islands  of  the  inland  sea.  The  work  of  our  schools  is  excel- 
lent, and  for  higher  education  we  have  Duncan  Academy  at 
Tokyo,  and  the  Baptist  Theological  Seminary  at  Yokohama. 

Thia  Same  Jems 

“ I have  the  charge  of  thousands  of  men,”  said  a Japanese 
railway  contractor.  “ I do  everything  in  my  power  to  awaken 
their  sense  of  honor;  but  the  only  men  that  I can  trust 
without  watching  are  those  who  have  accepted  the  Jesus 
teaching.” 

‘‘The  new  century  marks  the  beginning  of  a new  era  in 
the  churches  of  Japan.  A.  tidal  wave  of  gospel  preaching 
has  swept  over  the  land,  and  thousands  have  heard  and 
believed.” 

Contributions  for  the  work  of  the  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union 
may  be  sent  to  any  of  the  District  Secretaries,  or  to  the  Treasurer, 
Mr.  Chas.  W.  Perkins,  Tremont  Temple,  Boston,  Mass. 

Address  the  Literature  Department,  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union, 
Tremont  Temple,  Boston,  Mass.,  for  the  following: — 

Extra  copies  of  this  leaflet  for  free  distribution. 

An  historical  leaflet  on  “ Missions  in  Japan.”  Price,  5 cents. 

A free  catalogue  giving  a list  of  general  literature  on  Japan. 

A copy  of  the  Annual  Report  (postage  5 cents)  and  the  Handbook, 
of  the  Missionaiy  Union,  both  of  which  give  the  latest  statistics, 
and  are  essential  to  the  most  intelligent  knowledge  of  our  work, 
and  workers. 

1 Ed.  25M-4-04. 


